The glaive was a five-bladed, starfish-shaped weapon that could wipe out groups of enemies and slice through anything.

It was, to me, the greatest hand-held throwing weapon of all time.

I bring it up because the main weapon in D3’s “Dark Sector” is also called the glaive, and it’s also capable of doing wonderful things.

It is also the only thing I truly will remember about the game – mostly because there are a number of elements I want to forget.

The story is typical sci-fi fare: Black-ops agent meets biological weapon during a mission, but doesn’t die. Instead, he gets blessed with powers and weapons, including the glaive.

This game’s rendition of the unique weapon turns out to be the true star. In addition to its remarkably satisfying ability to chop off limbs and saw enemies in half, you also can charge the glaive with various elements like electricity or fire. It also can “fetch” items and weapons for you.

To top it all off, you also have the ability to “pilot” the glaive around corners or through small openings with the right thumbstick.

Artistically, the game is reminiscent of “Gears of War,” showing a knack for battle-torn, detailed urban landscapes.

The control scheme also follows the “Gears” layout closely, giving one button a lot of responsibility for running and taking cover.

However, the experience starts to crumble when you notice the criminally dense enemy AI. Bad guys would either run past me or stay riveted to one spot, waiting for me to kill them.

After I would kill one guy, another would take his place, shooting at me while practically standing on his dead buddy’s corpse. This made combat numbingly easy and even tedious at times.

You’ll also spend a lot of time wandering around. The levels, while pretty to look at, are almost too big. Be prepared to lose chunks of time looking for that one ladder or one special door that you’re supposed to open.

I also had issues with the melee combat. It’s like I was playing baseball – sometimes I’d connect on a swing, sometimes I wouldn’t. Unless the enemy I’m trying to hit had a shield – then I couldn’t hit them at all.

There are other issues, such as the inability to toggle weapon upgrades and relatively weak character development. But the glaive mechanics and excellent visuals make this game worth at least a few hours of your time.